


For Love

by hit_the_books



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Coda, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s12e20 Twigs and Twine and Tasha Banes, Fake Alicia Dies, First Kiss, Hurt Max Banes, M/M, Post-Episode: s12e20 Twigs and Twine and Tasha Banes Coda, Sam Winchester Doesn't Judge, Sharing a Bed, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 09:26:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10828437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hit_the_books/pseuds/hit_the_books
Summary: Max has second thoughts about making a copy of his dead sister. Unable to handle alone what he's done, Max makes his way to the Bunker, hoping that Sam will understand.Post-episode coda to 12x20 Twigs and Twine and Tasha Banes.





	For Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CastielsGracex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielsGracex/gifts), [WetSammyWinchester](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WetSammyWinchester/gifts).



> Last night's episode left me with a lot of Sam and Max feels. A lot.

“Just stop talking, please.”

Max regretted those words to Sam. Sat in what had been his sister’s Jeep, driving it because he couldn’t trust the thing he had created to be safe enough to drive and not kill them. And maybe he should just crash it, killing himself and Alicia. Because even he knew what was dead should stay dead and even if he hadn’t full on brought Alicia’s own body back to life—he had cut Alicia’s heart out of her chest and put it inside the mockery beside him.

Cut his sister’s heart out and set her real body aflame so that he could sit beside a lie. Yeah, that had been such a good fucking choice. Max shook his head and drove on, Alicia staring out the window beside her like she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

He hadn’t expected the Winchesters to come and help them when Alicia called. It had been good to see Sam again. Really good, but Max wasn’t so sure the older hunter would want to have anything to do with him if he knew that he’d brought back this facsimile of his sister. But he’d just lost his damn mother; his father not that long ago; all the family he had left was his grandmother, and he has to tiptoe around her. Hunting conversations are still awkward.

 _Shit, this is..._ Max turned to look over at Alicia and swallowed hard. Morning was showing him the folly of what he had done and it made his heart twist and shudder. The old witch's book was heavy in his jacket pocket as he pulled over and stopped at the side of the deserted road.

“Max, is everything okay?” Alicia asked.

Max gave her one of his happy brother smiles. “Yeah, just need to stretch my legs little. Join me?”

Alicia beamed at Max and they both gout out of the Jeep. Without any further words, they walked away from the Jeep and into the bush at the side of the road, Max slightly ahead of Alicia as he thumbed through the contents of the witch’s spell book. It didn’t take him very long to find what he needed.

 _Why does doing the right thing hurt?_ Max asked himself. He turned to Alica and smiled at his sister. She didn’t get a chance to react to the spell he recited it. His fake sister crumbled into dark dust, twigs, heart and all.

Slamming to his knees, Max let out a shuddering cry and howled in pain. He was alone. So very alone and he couldn’t stand it. But he couldn’t stand the idea of lying either. Not to himself, not to his grandmother… not to Dean _and_ Sam. Breaths fast and sharp, Max worked to get himself under control and after a few minutes he was able to put the book and the witch’s ring down on the ground.

Max got to his feet and took a few steps back. With a wave of his hand, purple flames snapped into existence and greedily gobbled at the accursed tome and ring. Only once the fire had burned low did Max walk back to the Jeep.

***

Still somewhat out of it after waking up that morning, it took Sam a few moments to realize that Max was calling his cell as it buzzed and rung in his hand. Sam unlocked it and held it up to his ear. He leaned back in the chair he’d plopped down into in the Bunker map room and tried to focus on speaking.

“Max, you okay?” Sam asked.

“I know this is, uh, unexpected, but could I maybe come hang out with you?”

Stomach clenching, Sam nodded and then realized that Max couldn’t see that. “Yeah, sure. Of course. You’re always welcome here. I’ll send directions.”

“Great. I’m already in Lebanon, so...”

“I’ll meet you outside.”

“See you soon.” Max hung up.

Sam stared down at the cell in his hand, unable to quite believe that Max Banes was on his way to the Bunker. He wished it was under better circumstances. Sam opened up his text messages and typed out directions to the Bunker and sent it to Max. It had been a few days since they’d last seen Max, and Sam had been worried about him while they’d been trying to figure out what was going on with Mary.

“Who was that?” Dean asked, handing Sam a cup of coffee.

Licking his lips, Sam smiled and took the pleasantly hot cup. “Max is coming, I need to meet him outside.”

“Wait, Max is in Lebanon? Like, right now?” Dean seemed about as surprised as Sam was.

“Uh, yeah… think you can put more coffee on?” Sam stood up and placed his coffee down.

“Sure, yeah. ‘Course. And I’ll do better than that. Bet the poor kid hasn’t eaten.” Dean hurried off in the direction of the kitchen.

At the mention of food, Sam’s stomach gave a loud growl. _Neither have we, for that matter._ With a sigh, Sam started up the stairs that led upwards to the top of the Bunker and the main entrance.

Sam opened the massive door and walked outside, eyes taking a moment to adjust to the morning light. A few minutes later, the Banes’ Jeep rolled up and Max parked it on the side of the road. Max climbed out of the vehicle and walked over to Sam. He couldn’t read Max’s face entirely, but grief was definitely there.

Unsure if Max would take him up on a hug, Sam held his arms out towards the younger man. It was as if time sped up as Max launched himself into Sam’s arms, muffled sobs wracking Max’s body. Sam held Max close and rubbed his back for a few minutes until the worst of it subsided.

“Dean’s making breakfast. C’mon,” Sam whispered. Max unwound himself from Sam, stared up at him with wet eyes and nodded. Sam felt a small tingle down his spine as Max twined his fingers with Sam’s and held his right hand.

***

Breakfast had been a quiet affair, and Dean had left Sam and Max as soon as the dishes were cleared away, saying something about wanting to try and check in on Mary. It wasn’t very comfortable in the map room and so Sam had suggested they hang out in his bedroom. Max had agreed and that was how he came to be sat beside Sam Winchester on Sam’s bed, watching an episode of _Luke Cage_ on Netflix.

They don’t talk, but Max couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened those past few days. He’d just been driving since burning the spell book and ring, following the road, not really caring where it took him until he was getting close to Lebanon and he realized where he was. He hadn’t thought much about what he was going to say to Sam or Dean, had just gone there on instinct alone.

Nothing much before had told Max that Sam was into him, though the way he’d looked a little disappointed when Max had said he had a date with that guy back at— _no, don’t think about it..._ Max knew that Sam was probably crushing on him a little. Wasn’t like the giant had run a mile at Asa’s funeral either, when he’d flirted, or when he had held Sam’s hand not that long ago.

But he hadn’t told Sam what he’d done and that truth hung between them like a shroud, obscuring whether Max could be sure Sam really liked him. Max wanted more than to just watch Luck Cage with Sam, he wanted Sam to hold him again and tell him everything was going to be okay.

“Sam,” Max started, looking over at the other hunter, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

Looking over at Max, Sam tilted his head towards him and smiled, hazel eyes bright. “What is it?”

Max let out a long breath and scrunched up his eyes before opening them again. “Sam… after you and Dean left me… I… I brought Alicia back like that witch did to mom and those other people,” Max confessed, voice getting quieter and quieter with each word.

The older hunter just sat there, looking at Max, and nodding as he talked. Sam said nothing, he just listened.

“Yesterday, I… I destroyed that fake Alicia. Burned the book and ring… and… and...”

Sam’s strong arms reached up around Max and pulled him against Sam’s chest. Curling into the contact, Max cried again while Sam rubbed his back and kissed his incredibly short hair.

“You’re not the only one who’s done crazy things for love,” Sam reassured Max. Unsure what Sam’s words quite meant, Max continued to cry, part in sadness and part in relief.

It felt good to be held by Sam—so good to have another person acknowledge the pain was there. No word of judgment came from Sam, he just kept Max close, nuzzling and stroking him until there were no more tears.

Netflix had turned itself off some time ago when Max finished crying. Sam kissed his forehead and asked, “Do you want some water? Kleenex?”

The crying had left Max bone tired. “No. Can we… can we sleep… here?”

And Max had just asked Sam to sleep in the same bed as him, Sam’s bed, but Max didn’t care. Sam felt like strength and confidence that Max wasn’t sure he would ever have again. So he wanted to surround himself with Sam.

A small smile quirked Sam’s lips and the older hunter said, “Sure.”

The two of them stripped out of their clothes, Max going down to only his boxers and Sam followed suit. Undressed and about ready to collapse, Max climbed into Sam’s bed, sliding under the covers. Sam joined Max and pulled the younger into his arms so that the two of them were facing each other. Breaths hitching a little, Max leaned forward and kissed Sam lightly on the lips and the hunter returned his kiss in kind.

For a few minutes they gently kissed as Max drifted off to sleep in Sam’s warm arms. There’d be more to talk about, to discuss. But it would have to wait until after they had had some sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Comments and kudos appreciated.
> 
> You can find me over on Tumblr at [dreamsfromthebunker](https://dreamsfromthebunker.tumblr.com/).


End file.
